This time of year tends to be pretty slow in the diecast world, so it’s always exciting to see an update on some upcoming recolors. Plus, we’ve started to see Mix 7/G pop up at some retail locations, so we got a look at what it has to offer. Let’s jump right in!
The most hyped model in this mix is inevitably going to be the return of the Mk5 Supra, this time in a hype-friendly Advan livery. I can hardly blame Matchbox for wanting to follow collector trends, but I’ve always loved that Matchbox tends to stick to clean liveries and realistic designs, so I’d personally prefer that they leave the racing liveries to Hot Wheels. Credit where it’s due though, the livery looks well executed, though I do find the red front bumper a little jarring. The wheels are a letdown – these premium wheels don’t look great at the best of times, and this light gray design just emphasizes their lack of any real spokes. Sure, they’re rubber, but they look cheaper than any of Matchbox’s plastic wheels.
Luckily, there are no rubber tires on this new red recolor of the Porsche 918 Spyder, though they do get a nice red rim for a little pop of color. This model is all but guaranteed to be a Red Edition, even though this was not originally scheduled to be one of this year’s Target-exclusive models. We’ve already seen sneaks of the Red GT3, so perhaps this model is replacing either the 2018 Charger or the Mk5 Supra (hopefully not the Supra – as noted above, I really want a good clean-deco recolor). This red paint is a great fit for the 918 Spyder, though it still boggles my mind that we haven’t seen a pearl white version of this casting from either Matchbox or Hot Wheels…
After a worryingly long gap, the mainline Dodge Durango casting makes a triumphant return! It’s always concerning when a casting disappears for any significant length of time, lest it disappear like the Mercedes GT63, so I’m glad to see this casting back for another outing. This color is somewhere between silver and gray, and looks excellent on this casting. I particularly like the way it emphasizes the SRT hood scoops and the bodyline in the doors. Mercifully, it also retains its full front and rear detailing.
The Nissan Sentra has been an oddball favorite of mine, so I’m happy to see it return for another outing. This black color looks nice (dare I say even a little too metallic?) and the front and rear detailing remains. Hopefully this model is a standard release, rather than being an 8-pack exclusive like the previous silver version.
We round out this week’s official sneaks with the Scania XT Fire Truck, a casting that’s sure to be a favorite among emergency vehicle collectors! Personally, I’m not in love with this deco, and I prefer fire trucks in the Real Working Rigs line where they can appear closer to a correct scale, but I can’t deny that this baby fire truck is well executed. I especially like the integrated steps in front of the front wheel, and it’s definitely a breath of fresh air to have a proper, licensed fire truck in the lineup.
The upcoming Mix 7/G has also started to appear out in the wild, and we’ve seen pictures of it start to pop up online thanks to both THunted and hotwheels.murah.my. There’s some cool stuff in this mix, but the highlight is easily the new Cadillac CT5-V Super Chase. I love this casting, so I’m always glad to see it make another appearance, but I can’t help but feel like this is a bit of a waste of a super chase spot. The CT5-V has always looked great with its front and rear detailing, and the beauty of a super chase is the higher budget for printed detailing. We’ve seen it put to good use on some recent models like the Ford GT, where it finally allowed for that casting to get the rear detailing it deserves. Here, we gain nothing but a CT5-V badge on the fender and the mandatory SC logo, so it just feels like a mainline with worse wheels. I’ll still try to track one down, since I love the casting, but I believe Matchbox can and should do more with their super chase models.
Other highlights here include the black recolor of the Holden Commodore SSV, the debut release of the Mercedes EQB in white, the debut of the Cadillac Lyric in gray, and the return of the NYC taxi livery on a Ford Taurus. Plus, that Morgan 3 Wheeler is just adorable!
That’s it for this week’s sneaks, though I encourage you to scroll through the Instagram carousels for yourself to see everything in the mix. As always, the list of upcoming Matchbox models has been updated to reflect this new information!
diecastleno.com 
Leave a comment